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Pingtel Open Source VoIP Debuts in Europe

Posted by timothy on from the still-early-in-the-game dept.

jasperbg writes "The Register has an interesting article on open-source VoIP provider Pingtel's debut in Europe. Pingtel is a commercial company which packages and sells products based on code from the SIPfoundry open source community."

5 of 58 comments (clear)

  1. This has been in the making for a while by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It seems that a year ago Pingtel had its doubts about SIP as the sole technology for VoIP. And they are right, of course.

    The key to making this work is a combination of SIP and other related technologies, but most of all, VoIP needs a solid business plan to work. Despite good technologies and intentions, without a business plan that is well-designed, the project will be doomed to failure. Pingtel thinks they have the right business model. Time will tell

  2. Can't resist.... by the+MaD+HuNGaRIaN · · Score: 2, Interesting


    1. Google for open source project
    2. Repackage code
    3. ???
    4. PROFIT!!!

    Really, as long as they are not violating the license agreement of the OS project, who cares? Lot's of people do it. Some companies (like the morons I work for) insist on spending money on software.

    Our "Chief Software Engineer" (some very, very, very old guy who hasn't written software since punchcards went out of style) proclaimed "Open Source software is worthless. If it had any value, it wouldn't be free."

    So, someone has to cater to that mindset. That's all there is to it. I wish I had the time/resources/contacts to do it, because there's definitely no shortage of people who will pay money for something that they could get for free.

  3. What I want that Skype can't provide by sipfounder · · Score: 5, Interesting
    1. Something less invasive. Skype's peer-to-peer discovery techniques used at startup "learns" too much about my network "inside" my firewall by doing all kinds of broadcasting, exploring, poking, etc. I don't like it when some other, random company's software starts dissecting the organization of my internal network. I don't trust what they will, or won't do with that info, particularly since it is in the hands of a company who has a demonstrated willingness to do things the rest of the world may not be happy with but that it thinks are "good."
    2. Something that the open source community can expand on in the way the Skype APIs are doing, but not do it in only the ways Skype -- in it's infinite wisdom -- decide are things that are useful / ok / interesting. This is the very beauty of open source -- lemme do what I want.
    3. Play well with others. There are tons of SIP-based products and services starting to enter the market. (See the lists at www.sipforum.org and www.sipcenter.org, etc.) Skype is attracting some providers for SkypeOff, but I'd rather take advantage of the SIP industry's last 5 years of work to make a broad array of products (VXML engines, conference control interfaces, media servers, IP PBXs, etc.)

    Oh, and to the point that Skype's firewall piercing is unique or unacceptable -- it isn't. See an analysis of Skype signaling done at Columbia University. Skype appears to use a variant of the STUN/ICE technique currently being worked through in the IETF for use with SIP, too. What isn't acceptable in the corporate environment is the local LAN probing / discovery that Skype does at startup!!!

    So I want something that plays well with me, and others.

  4. Re:We tried working with VOIP... by westlake · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Please tell us where you work that employees find themselves in a position to require 911 service daily.

    a sheltered work program for the disabled. light industrial. all the ordinary risks of accident and fire on the shop floor plus 150 clients who may need emergency medical services, advanced life support, at any moment.

  5. Re:So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I disagree with expecting 911.

    VoIP services should be responsible and advertise that their phone service is not as reliable as publically regualted POTS is.

    There is no regulation to ensure the reliablity of VoIP but there exists regulations for your POTS lines.

    What happens when your DSL or cable goes down? There is not much you can do about it. You can hope your ISP fixes it in a timely fashion. A regulated POTS service, on the other hand, is required to keep a certian very high level of service.

    There is no way that VoIP can be regulated like a phone line to ensure suitability for emergency service. Saying it needs 911 is absurd. Saying it needs to be regulated is even more absurd!

    The whole 911 issue smells of telecom lobbies and special interests trying to nip VoIP in the bud to ensure they do not take away their competition in the long distance market.

    If you depend on your consumer grade internet connection for 911 service, you're insane.